Research Article

The effect of dust components and contaminants on the performance of photovoltaic for the four regions in Iraq: a practical study

¹ Energy and Renewable Energies Technology Center, University of Technology, Baghdad, Iraq
² Sohar University, PO Box 44, PCI 311 Sohar, Oman
³ Solar Energy Research Institute, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia

^* e-mail: 20185@uotechnology.edu.iq

Received: 3 December 2019
Accepted: 10 December 2019

Abstract

The accumulation of dust on the surface of the solar cell causes a clear decrease in its performance. The present study has led to investigate the impact of pollution and dust of four different Iraq regions of different conditions on solar cells performance. The areas studied were Baghdad, an agricultural area in Mahmoodia, the Karbala-Najaf desert road, and the city of Fao. The components of dust samples were examined from the areas mentioned and a high percentage of silica was found, which shows the impact of the desert in the Iraqi dust. In Baghdad and Mahmoodia dust samples, clear proportions of clay and silt minerals were found that can be traced back to the fertile valley of Mesopotamia. Significant percentages of particulate matter (PM), lead and sulfur were found in Fao and Baghdad dust samples indicating high contamination by fossil fuel combustion emissions. Practical experiments were carried out to measure the current, voltages, and power of a solar cell, and a clear reduction in these parameter values was measured. From the types of the components of dust samples, the study suggested suitable periodic cleaning period and cleaning methods for each type of dust.